


These Simple Words

by MidnightCity



Category: Formula E RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 11:46:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightCity/pseuds/MidnightCity
Summary: JEV felt a flush rush to his cheeks and a thought popped into his head: “I love him … I love you, André.” He knew that this was not the first time the thought had appeared ...





	These Simple Words

“Why don’t we grab a bite here?” André suggested as they walked through the streets of Monaco. He pointed at the restaurant they were about to pass. “Since we’re already suited up,”

JEV didn’t miss the way he stuffed his hands in his pockets in an effort to suppress the fidgeting. He knew that André was a bit nervous about this proposal. He had organised the whole weekend for them: starting with the air-race, later spending the night in André’s new place, the flights in the planes themselves and the Monte Carlo Masters that had followed. JEV couldn’t help himself and felt that it was adorable that a simple request for a quiet dinner at the end of the day would make him nervous.

“Sure,” he agreed.

He was sure that they hadn’t just walked there by accident, a suspicion that was confirmed when he could overhear André talking to the waiter about a reservation.

After a moment, they were led to a quiet corner of the restaurant. JEV relaxed instantly, knowing that their privacy would be respected here. It happened rarely that they had dinner in public outside of a crowd.

While they would never miss a chance to touch each other briefly, it was always in the knowledge that they had to keep a low profile. This time, André took more liberties: He rested his foot against JEV’s under the table, and the affection was clearly visible on his face when he caused JEV to smile or to laugh.

As the dinner progressed, JEV felt comfortable enough to reach across the table and gently take André’s hand in his. André stopped mid-sentence and with the softest expression JEV had seen looked at their joined hands. Then, giving it a small squeeze instead of pulling away, André picked up his sentence and continued with the story.

Suddenly, JEV felt a flush rush to his cheeks and a thought popped into his head: “I love him … I love you, André.”

If JEV was honest, he knew that this was not the first time the thought had appeared. The very first time had been the night before the Rome ePrix. They had sleepily cuddled in bed, only talking in a mumble because they only allowed to show each other the exhaustion of the past days. JEV could not remember the exact joke André had made but it had been the worst sexual pun anyone could have ever thought of. Appalled by the wordplay JEV had literally kicked him out of the bed. André remained on the floor, curled up in a ball and unable to stop laughing. JEV knew that he still had a bruise on his knee from hitting the floor ….

This was closely followed by watching André climb the podium a day later. JEV had made sure that he would be among the crowd to watch because he could not have been prouder of him. Watching the pure joy on his partner’s face had momentarily erased all the bad feelings about this own race. Hadn’t he been within the Techeetha crowd, he would have shouted his declaration of love out into the wide world. 

At that moment, JEV had felt a surge of panic that it was too soon. After all, they had only been dating since two and a half months. _Wasn’t it too soon?!_ JEV wouldn’t really know, he had never had any relationship where he had come close to saying these kinds of words, let alone feel them in the pit of his stomach as well. But André …. André was different to them …

 

* * *

 

“Hmm?” JEV mumbled as he felt a hand against his cheek. He cracked his eyes open and saw André hovering over him. Almost automatically a smile started to form on his lips.

Back at André’s flat, JEV had crawled into the bed and made himself a home. He must have dozed off …  

“Go back to sleep,” André told him quietly and kissed him softly on the lips. Then he walked to the end of the bed and draped the blanket around JEV’s legs. JEV wasn’t sure when the last time someone had treated him this gently had been.

“Merci pour aujourd'hui,” JEV muttered as he watched André open the window to let in cooling air.

“Le plaisir était pour moi,” André responded. He gave JEV’s shoulder a gentle squeeze as he walked past him and to the other side of the bed.

“Sorry that I can’t offer mind-blowing sex right now,” JEV joked as he watched André slip out of his shirt and trousers. He liked that he was at ease around him.

A smile formed on André’s face as he turned around and picked up the cotton sweatpants that had been lying on the bed. “Don’t worry about it.”

JEV nodded and closed his eyes again. A moment later he felt the bed dip slightly as André crawled between the sheets. A content sigh escaped him as he snuggled closer to JEV. A moment later, JEV felt his lips on his.

“Good night,” he whispered as André rested his head on his shoulder. This way, André’s nose pressed slightly against his cheek. Smiling to himself, JEV wrapped an arm around him, feeling him relax. Then André added a small kiss onto his stubbly cheek. “For good measure.”

JEV smiled in the darkness, he was aware that André was a bit clingy when it came to cuddling. Once he got a hold of JEV’s arm while sleeping he would not let go of it for the whole night. While this had led to JEV waking up due to a painful yank at his arm because André had turned not realising he was still holding JEV’s arm, JEV did not mind it too much. In fact, he enjoyed the sentiment because it told him that André liked having him close – even when they were asleep.

Which shouldn’t surprise JEV too much because André was not shy about telling JEV when he wanted to be held or ask if it was okay to hold JEV. In turn, this utter confidence had assured JEV that he needn’t be shy about his needs and expressing what he wanted. It was easy with André around.

Even if JEV didn’t know how or when, he had seen the signs that André had had his heart broken if not shattered in the past. He had known since their first kiss that he needed to tread lightly at times. Which was why it delighted JEV that the more their relationship progressed, the more comfortable André had started to become. It had started with smaller gestures, like making him breakfast in the morning or also bringing him a coffee when he got one. Now, André was becoming more comfortable with physical contact in the public eye. Every time André sought out JEV in a crowd he gently placed a hand on his shoulder, lingering for longer than usual.

What JEV enjoyed the most was the good night texts that they regularly sent to each other when they were apart. JEV had thought that it was uncanny how quickly he had gotten used to sharing a place with André and regularly falling asleep next to him. Sometimes he had found himself marvelling how long it had taken him to get used to sleeping alone again. Usually those were the times when his phone would ping and a text from André would come through – as if he had been thinking the same.

JEV let out a deep breath, and asked, “André?”

“Jean-Eric?” André whispered in reply.

“Je t'aime.”

Suddenly, JEV felt his heart pick up pace. _Had he just said these words out loud?!_ He thought panicked and held his breath. It was something different thinking like this, but wasn’t it too soon to say it to André? What if it caused him to get scared and bolt?

All those thoughts were blown away as he felt André smile against his cheek and gave him a tight squeeze. JEV felt himself relax when André kissed his cheek. Then he captured his lips and a smile broke free on JEV’s lips. It was a great feeling to be able to say these words and even better that André accepted them as well.

André snuggled back onto his shoulder, whispering, “give me a bit.”

He had not expected these words to be returned so quickly. However, JEV had been unable to keep them to himself any more, he wanted André to know that this was how he felt. It was important that André knew!

“Of course,” JEV reassured him. He rolled onto his shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “I just wanted you to know …”

“I am glad,” André responded with a soft and quiet voice.

 In that moment, JEV felt relief flood him and all the tension leave his body. André seemed to have noticed the shift as well and so he gave him a reassuring squeeze. JEV appreciated it, and gently placed a hand between his shoulder blades pulling him towards him.

“That wasn’t too bad …” JEV mused.

“Hm?”

“For a first time …” he elaborated.

André brushed a strand of JEV’s hair out of his eyeline and carefully tucked it behind his ear. “You haven’t told anyone before that you …” instead of finishing the sentence he hummed the intonation of the words.

JEV bit his lips and shook his head.

For a moment André was quiet, seemingly processing that fact. “I am … touched …” he whispered, stumbling over the words. “If you don’t mind me asking … but why haven’t you … I mean before ….”

Before André ended up getting tongue tied, JEV tried to explain. “I never had …. What I mean to say …. I never felt that …” JEV took a deep breath and tried again. He sounded no better than André had a moment ago but how was he supposed to explain it? How was he supposed to explain that he never had a relationship like this before? Prior all his relationships had felt more like friends with benefits or at best something casual – but both sides knew that should they find someone else that they would end their “relationship”, which was what had happened. While JEV and André could have easily gone down the same route, for some twist of fate they had not. Even though this was still a young relationship, JEV already knew that it was different to any he had had prior and he did not mind at all. “… it was just never …”

“JEV, you know what …” André cut him off and placed a hand on his chest. “… forget me asking. You don’t have to tell me. You also let me keep a lot of my emotional shit from the past to myself.”

JEV bit his lip. André also suffered from an inability to explain reactions that were related to the past. Only a month ago, the roles had been reversed with André stumbling over words, wanting to tell JEV something but ending up frustrated by his own inability to get the words across. JEV had been understanding, he still was, but it was only now that he realized how shit that must have felt …

“It’s okay,” André added and reassured him by running his hands along his side and giving him a small squeeze. Then he cupped his cheek and ran his thumb along his jawline. “You know it’s okay.”

JEV nodded, pressing into the touch. “Have you told anyone before that you loved them?” JEV asked, wondering if André had ever been in a situation like this.

“Yeah …” he admitted quietly. “… one man.”

JEV couldn’t miss the sad undertone in his voice, which prompted him to ask, “Was it … worth it?”

As soon as the words left JEV’s lips, André began to smile and nodded. “Yeah.”

JEV returned the smile, happy that he was not regretting something like this. “Good.” Still, he could not overlook the bittersweet pain that hid in André eyes when he thought about that memory.

André interrupted his train of thought when he suddenly asked, “what about you?” Which left JEV slightly confused.

“Sorry?”

 “Your first …” André did not speak the words, instead he made a gesture that could have been rugby signs and pointed between them. JEV bit back a smile but understood what he indicated. “… was it worth it?”

JEV let out a small laugh and nodded. “Yes,” he replied and kissed André on the lips. “Even if he’s a bit of an ‘I love you’ slut,” he added to tease him.

Suddenly, André boxed him in the shoulder. “Just because you’re a prude.”

JEV couldn’t help it and started to laugh. A moment later, he noticed with delight that André started to giggle as well – the bittersweet pain from earlier was replaced with happiness. So JEV shifted their legs in such a way that his was hooked over André’s and held him by the shoulders. He used the brief moment of confusion to give him a shove and roll over, so that André was lying underneath JEV – unable to get out from under him.

Then JEV reached for the sides of his waist. He guessed that this must be where André was ticklish and the high-pitched yelped that escaped the moment he squeezed the spot confirmed the theory. JEV’s fingers continued to trace the area, tickling him. Always delighted when André burst out laughing and tried to wind out from under him.

“Stop,” André called out as another burst of laughter escaped him. Then he scrambled for JEV’s hands and when he finally managed to take a hold of them during a giggle fit, JEV stopped his attack.

He pretended to resist for a moment but seeing the way André’s eyes had lit up, he could not resist him. Instead, JEV placed each hand at one side of André’s head and bent forwards. They kissed, André’s lips were soft and welcoming so JEV lingered not wanting to lose this moment so quickly.  

Once they parted, JEV kept his eyes closed. He enjoyed the tingling sensation on his lips for a bit longer. Then he placed his cheek against André’s, feeling him press against him in response to the close contact. He moved further to the side of his neck, only to deliberately rub against the sensitive skin. JEV was well aware that André felt that his beard tickled, and so André began to giggle quietly. This time without putting up a fight.  

JEV pulled away ever so slightly that he would be able to look André in the eyes. “Ow,” JEV whined quietly as André swatted him over the back of his head. However, the smile on his face had given him away.

André let his hand fall onto the back of his neck, and JEV could feel his fingertips wandering over his skin until he was quietly tracing his jawline, then his lips before he came to a stop cupping his cheek.

“Jean-Éric?” André began, his voice quiet and shaking slightly. This stilled any movement or counter-attack that JEV might have thought of. As he watched André take a deep breath, he couldn’t help the thought that he was gathering courage for something. “I love you too.”

JEV felt his heart skip a beat and his breath got stuck. Suddenly, a huge grin broke free from JEV’s face as a mixture of happiness and relief flooded him.

“André …” JEV wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. Or what he wanted to do. He knew that this was a big step for him, opening up to JEV like this … all of these thoughts died on his lips instead.

“I do,” André stated. This time he sounded surer of himself, probably save in the knowledge that JEV would not treat any of this lightly. “And especially because you always manage to make me smile.”

JEV had to bite his lips to keep his emotions in check. At the moment he wasn’t quite sure how to handle all of this: his own emotions and the ones that André put so blatantly on display. Even in private André often tended to keep up a small guard – subconscious or not, he wasn’t doing that right now.

JEV became blatantly aware of this fact as he watched André let out a long breath and start fidgeting slightly under him. So JEV rolled onto his shoulder and took André with him, wrapping his arms around his middle and pulling him closer.

“Are you okay with saying that to me?” JEV asked carefully – unsure if André bitten off more than he could chew.

André didn’t respond at once, instead he seemed to ponder the question for which JEV was glad.

“Yeah, I am good.” Then a smile flashed cross André’s face.

JEV kissed him once more, stroking his cheek as they parted. Only then did a small yawn escape André.

“Sorry …” André muttered as he tried to cover his mouth in a futile attempt.

JEV took pity on him and kissed the top of his head. “Didn’t know I was this boring,” he joked as he took the liberty to let his own eyes fall shut.

“Hm, sometimes,” André replied smoothly. “Hold me?”

“Sure.” JEV wouldn’t dare to turn down that request. “Spooning?”

“S'il te plait.”

As JEV nodded André turned over, so that his back was to him. JEV placed one hand under the pillow and André’s head as he closed the gap between them. For good measure he left a feather-light kiss on the back of his neck before he placed his chin on top of André’s head.

Then he wrapped his free arm around André’s middle, pressing him closer. A moment later he felt André’s hand cover his. JEV already knew that by morning it would have fallen victim to his claws but if it meant having André close it was worth it.

 André placed a small kiss on JEV’s knuckles before he muttered “bonne nuit.”

JEV tried to keep his eyes open for a bit longer, watching André fall asleep in the dim lights from the street. Since the first night they had slept next to each other, JEV felt that it was comforting to know that André was safe in his arms.


End file.
